Tag Archives: TailGate

Once a year, children get to trumpet all things that make their dads the greatest. Between a father and a son, beer and barbecue is the best way to celebrate Father’s Day. A relaxing day of bonding, with good food and drinks to boot, has been central to the occasion.

However, this modern way of celebration is much different from the original Father’s Day commemorated in 1908. It was meant to remember the lives of roughly 360 men — 210 of which are fathers — who passed away because of the Monogah Mine Disaster. The tragedy left almost a thousand children fatherless.

For entrepreneur Wesley Keegan, celebrating Father’s Day is a combination of both old and new traditions.

His dad, Tim, was one of those people who had a new plan for a million-dollar business every week. One day when Wesley was still in college, Tim approached him and pitched a name for a beer company: TailGate. Tim took the first step when he applied for the TailGate trademark and trusted his son to crunch the numbers, the paperwork, and production. Soon, TailGate entered the brewing industry and won recognition at the Great American Beer Festival and other competitions. That was in 2007.

Three years later, just as the company was reaching its peak, Tim Keegan unexpectedly passed away. Wesley lost his mentor, sounding board, and right-hand man that day. But most of all, he lost his father.

The passing of his dad inspired Wesley to make the company thrive. Brewing up success with passion, determination, and commitment, it only took the young entrepreneur a few years before TailGate became an all-American brand. All the while, Wesley continues to honor his father’s memory by doing exactly as he did and learning from his mistakes.

Tim’s legacy lives on at Tailgate Beer as Wesley celebrates Father’s Day every single day.